Omega has been celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1969 moonlanding and the iconic Speedmaster watch worn by the astronauts all year, and this new Speedmaster is chock full of Apollo references for the hoards of “Speedy” fans out there. It also presents a new, technically impressive movement that is offered for the first time in a more affordable steel case. Since the collection already includes a Moonwatch that is remarkably faithful to the original, Omega is doing a lot of things to make this year’s limited editions a bit different.
The manually wound 3861 movement was first featured in the solid gold Speedmaster announced earlier this year. Now in a more terrestrially priced steel case (42mm, water-resistant to 50m), it represents an update to the 1861 movement with improved accuracy and magnetic resistance, using Omega’s Co-Axial escapement and silicon parts. Hacking seconds is another welcome new feature that is taken for granted on most modern movements. All this adds significant value but leaves many fans wondering when a steel (or any material, for that matter) Speedy will feature the original Moonwatch’s 321 movement that Omega has gone through the trouble to reverse-engineer and reissue.
More elements that make this version special and seem aimed at collectors include the indices, bezel, logo, and hands in “Moonshine Gold,” an Omega alloy meant to retain its color better than standard gold, resulting in a warmer, more vintage feel. Then, there are the various commemorative details that reference the moon landing, with an image of an astronaut in the 9 o’clock sub-dial, the 11 o’clock index replaced with an “11” to reference the Apollo mission, and a spacesuit footprint on the solid case back along with Neil Armstrong’s famous quote (“That’s one small step…”).
The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Edition will be limited to 6,969 pieces and priced at $9,650.
Gear Patrol also recommends:
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Steel ($5,350)
TAG Heuer Heritage Caliber Heuer 02 “Autavia” Watch ($5,450)
Zenith Chronomaster El Primero Watch ($7,100)
The best way to catch up on the day’s most important product releases and stories. Read the Story
